Impaired glucose tolerance is a pre-diabetic state of dysglycemia, associated with insulin resistance and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Barr et al., Circulation 116(2):151-157 (2007). In many cases, impaired glucose tolerance precedes the onset of type 2 diabetes, a disease characterized by insulin resistance, relative insulin deficiency, and hyperglycemia. Id.
Hyperglycemia is consistently associated with cardiovascular disease. Mazzone et al., Lancet 371:1800-1809 (2008). High blood glucose levels can lead to vascular complications by several mechanisms, resulting in atherosclerosis, among other complications. Id. As the incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes continue to rise throughout many parts of the world, effective methods for combating the deleterious effects of hyperglycemia and preventing its occurrence are the focus of extensive research.